Leading Transformation with Creativity
Using radical creativity to guide teams, challenge assumptions, and implement meaningful change in organizations
In today’s world, organizations face rapid ecological, technological, and economic change, while expectations for performance continue to grow. Leaders are expected to deliver results today, while rethinking how work is done for tomorrow.
Many organizations struggle to turn ideas into practical improvements. Incremental change is no longer enough. Without the ability to challenge assumptions, guide experimentation, and rethink collaboration, organizations risk adapting too slowly, missing opportunities, and executing strategies ineffectively.
Leading Transformation with Creativity introduces radical creativity as a practical leadership capability. The program equips leaders with structured approaches to challenge existing ways of working, develop and test new ideas, and translate them into concrete changes.
Participants strengthen their ability to lead in complexity by combining creative thinking, generative AI, and embodied leadership practices. They learn how to turn ideas into action, guide teams through uncertainty, and implement both continuous and fundamental change.
Why Attend?
- Challenge existing ways of working and lead both incremental improvements and more fundamental change.
- Turn ideas into action by guiding experimentation and applying structured approaches to problem-solving and collaboration.
- Strengthen your leadership in complexity by combining creative thinking, generative AI, and embodied practices to improve focus and decision-making.
If the participant successfully completes the program and later enrolls in the Aalto Executive MBA or MBA program, up to 4.5 ECTS credits may be recognized toward MBA studies within five years.
This is not just theoretical knowledge – experience creativity in body and mind!
Radical creativity lies at the core of Aalto University – come and explore it with us!
In 2025, the program received an overall rating of 5.6/6, reflecting a strong impact on participants.
Program Benefits
The program equips leaders with structured approaches to improve how teams work and implement change in complex environments. During the program, you will:
For
The program is designed for leaders responsible for improving performance and leading change in how work is done.
It is particularly relevant for:
- Business unit leaders responsible for performance and strategic priorities
- Operational managers responsible for translating strategy into effective ways of working
- Team leaders responsible for improving performance and developing new approaches to problem-solving and collaboration
Contents and Schedule
The program explores how radical creativity supports problem solving, improvement, and organizational change. In this context, creativity is not about artistic expression, but about how leaders and teams challenge assumptions, reframe problems, and develop new ways of working.
Participants work with structured models for leading creativity, including approaches for managing tensions, leveraging creative conflict, and reframing problems from unsolvable to solvable. The program also integrates generative AI as a tool for creative processes and teamwork.
A distinctive element is the use of embodied leadership practices, including physical and vocal exercises, to strengthen presence, awareness, and openness in leadership situations.
The program is delivered face-to-face over three days. Participants complete a pre-assignment beforehand. The sessions are highly interactive and include discussions, practical exercises, and work on real cases, as well as a team challenge, enabling participants to apply learning directly to their own context.
Participants who later wish to continue their studies in the Aalto Executive MBA or MBA programs may submit a post-assignment. If completed successfully and the participant later enrolls in the program, up to 4.5 ECTS credits may be recognized within five years.
Modules
Instructors
Tuomas Auvinen
Tuomas Auvinen is the Dean of the School of Arts, Design, and Architecture at Aalto University.
Tuomas Auvinen has built his career in the field of creativity and cultural leadership and has broad experience in demanding leadership roles at arts institutions.
He has worked as the CEO of The Association of Finnish Theatres, as Administrative Director of the Finnish National Theatre, and as the Principal and Dean of the Sibelius Academy, amongst other positions. In addition, Auvinen has extensive experience in creative leadership training and consultancy and has held several chairman and board member positions in cultural and creative industries companies.
Ville Eloranta
Dr. Ville Eloranta is currently working as a Senior University Lecturer at Aalto University School of Business.
He is also Director of the IDBM Master's Program (the Aalto International Design Business Management program for future transdisciplinary professionals) and involved in developing Network University Fitech (a transformative education endeavor of the seven biggest Finnish universities, Technology Industries of Finland, and TEK, the trade union for academic engineers and architects in Finland).
Dr. Ville Eloranta is an expert in design management (connecting design paradigms to management practice), business model innovation (especially platform business models), and distributed ledger technologies (especially open blockchain implementations). He has a solid track record of publications in top-level management journals.
Besides a strong academic track record, Dr. Ville Eloranta has 20 years of experience in design and entrepreneurship solving digitalization challenges, especially for big B2B customers.
Ville Eloranta holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management from Aalto University School of Science and Technology.
Hanna Brotherus
Hanna Brotherus is a choreographer, director, and author. She is a specialist in bodily expression, and encounters between human beings lie at the core of her work.
Moving smoothly at the interface between art and well-being, Brotherus is working to increase humaneness, being seen, and authenticity. She is an expert in the performing arts bringing together different groups of people and collaborators in communal and societal productions.
Brotherus has choreographed more than 30 full-length dance productions and dozens of shorter live and filmed pieces that have been performed in Stockholm, Seoul, and Hong Kong, as well as Finland. She is among Finland's most renowned and productive artists in her field. Her accomplishments have been recognized in Finland and internationally. Besides numerous grants from the state and several foundations, she was awarded the Tanssin Maineteko award in 2014 and the Pro Dance Choreographer Award in 2020.
Hanna Brotherus has written books and articles on dance and two novels. She has taught dance and movement extensively to different audiences. She also coaches the personnel of large organizations in bodily awareness.
Hanna Brotherus holds an MA in (Dance) Choreography from the Theatre Academy of The University of the Arts Helsinki.